When it comes to carbonated drinks, some are bad for the teeth while others are not harmful to your tooth enamel. How do you know which drinks to consume to maintain healthy teeth? Much of the beverages you drink contain sugar, which is what plaque feeds off of to decay your teeth. Plaque is the substance made from the sugars in the foods you eat mixed with bacteria in your mouth. Carbonated beverages such as soda can be bad for your teeth. However, other carbonated drinks (such as sparkling water) don’t damage your bone health. There are drinks out there that will erode your tooth enamel and cause stains over time. You want to avoid those drinks or take proper oral hygiene precautions when you consume them. There are also sources of fluoridated drinks (such as water) that can help your enamel. We can help you to know what drinks are good for your teeth and which ones will damage your tooth enamel.

Carbonated Drinks and Your Teeth

If you drink carbonated drinks on a daily basis, you may want to rethink what you are putting in your mouth. Colgate studied carbonated drinks and found that “acids and acidic sugar byproducts in soft drinks soften tooth enamel.” How does this happen? Plaque is a substance made from bacteria and sugars in the foods you drink. This makes an acidic substance that erodes your tooth enamel, which is why you have to brush away plaque several times a day to avoid tooth decay.

Carbonated drinks also have various acids in them. The acids in these carbonated drinks can and will erode your tooth enamel over time. That process is sped up if you ingest carbonated drinks often, especially if it’s on a daily basis. Some studies have found that teenagers drink as much as up to 12 soft drinks a day. That’s a recipe for disaster when it comes to developing tooth decay! Bottom line: carbonated drinks contain acids that will quickly soften and erode your teeth. If you want good oral health, it’s a good idea to opt for water instead of soft drinks throughout your day.

Sparkling Water: Good or Bad?

Many people think of carbonated drinks only include sodas and energy drinks. However, many brands of water also are carbonated. In fact, in many countries outside of the United States, carbonated water is even more popular than regular water. In some countries, this is because the drinking water itself is not sanitary. You man know these drinks as “sparkling water”, and they come in many different flavors. Is this carbonation safe for the teeth? Studies show that sparkling water is much more acidic than pure still water.

Just as sodas get their carbonation from carbon dioxide, so do sparkling, carbonated waters. The tangy bite that sparkling water and sodas give you comes from a chemical reaction taking place in your mouth. Carbon dioxide turns into CO2, which is actually carbonic acid. A good rule of thumb is to avoid acidic drinks if you want your tooth enamel to stay healthy.

Fluoride Can Help Strengthen Teeth

There are many substances that can slowly erode and demineralize your teeth throughout the day. In fact, the saliva in your mouth mixed with the minerals in the foods you eat help demineralize and remineralize your teeth every day. Foods you eat or drink—especially if they are acidic—can erode your tooth enamel and demineralize the teeth. That is why it’s important to eat healthy and make sure you are getting enough foods rich in calcium and phosphate throughout the day. Those minerals help remineralize your teeth and keep them strong.

However, nobody is perfect, and nobody can monitor what minerals are hitting their teeth at every single meal. That is why we love fluoride. The American Dental Association refers to fluoride as “nature’s cavity fighter.” This is a naturally-occuring mineral and is found in many water sources in the United States. Fluoride is taken from foods and beverages you intake and works to make your tooth enamel stronger. When you use toothpastes, mouthwashes, gels, and more that contain fluoride, you create a barrier for the teeth that acts a shield for bacteria, plaque, and acidic substances. It’s one of the best ways to strengthen your teeth each day!

Keep Your Dental Health in Check

Don’t know how your dental health is doing? Come in to see us at Mountain Aire Dentistry! We can advise you on what carbonated drinks are the worst for you and what they do to your teeth. We can also determine if carbonated drinks are eroding away your tooth enamel or causing cavities. There are ways to enjoy the foods and drinks you love, but you want to make sure you aren’t hurting your teeth in the process. After all, you only have one set of permanent teeth! Call our office today at (303) 731-7755 to learn more!